Dr Abel Damina is one of Nigeria’s most discussed and intellectually provocative Christian ministers — a theologian and pastor whose willingness to challenge long-held doctrinal assumptions has made him both widely admired and widely contested within Nigerian evangelical circles.
As the founder and General Overseer of Abel Damina Ministries International and Senior Pastor of Power City International in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, he leads a ministry that reaches millions of believers across Nigeria and the global diaspora through his church, his satellite television network Kingdom Life Network, and his prolific written and broadcast output.
Born on August 29, 1960, in Kudaru, Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, Damina grew up in an Assemblies of God pastor’s home and has described his entire life as lived within ministry. His theological journey, however, took him well beyond the denominational framework of his upbringing.
His grace-centred, New Testament-focused teaching style has attracted enormous followings while simultaneously generating significant friction with other prominent Nigerian pastors who dispute some of his more provocative claims.
Among the most discussed of Damina’s positions is his assertion that Christians will not go to heaven after death in the popular evangelical sense, an interpretation he grounds in his reading of New Testament texts about the Kingdom of God.
This teaching, along with others that challenge traditional Pentecostal and evangelical doctrinal positions, has placed him at the centre of theological debates that play out regularly across Nigerian social media and Christian media platforms.
Profile
| Full Name | Abel Hankuri Damina |
| Born | August 29, 1960 |
| Age | 65 years old |
| Birthplace | Kudaru, Lere LGA, Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| State of Origin | Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Pastor, Author, Television Broadcaster, Ministry Founder |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Spouse | Dr Rachel Damina (married June 13, 1992) |
| Children | Jemima Damina, Jesimiel Damina, Jeiel Damina (the Triple J Plus) |
| Net Worth | $500,000–$3 million |
Early Life
Abel Hankuri Damina was born on August 29, 1960, in Kudaru, a village in the Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, into a family rooted in Christian ministry.
His father was a retired Reverend in the Assemblies of God Nigeria and served as a district pastor of the Assemblies of God in Saminaka, Kaduna. Damina has spoken publicly about having been born into a pastor’s home, going to school from a pastor’s home, and entering ministry from school, emphasising the seamless continuity of faith and service that has defined every phase of his life.
He was raised in Southern Kaduna and his early years were shaped by the Kudaru community’s culture and the Assemblies of God’s evangelical tradition.
His mother tongue is Kudaru, an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in the Lere area of Kaduna. Growing up in a ministry household gave Damina an early and deep engagement with biblical texts, theological questions, and the rhythms of Christian community life.
He has described his calling to ministry not as a dramatic conversion moment but as a gradual and organic recognition of who he was and what he was meant to do.
Education
Abel Damina received his early education at Kauru Primary and Secondary School in Kaduna State.
He subsequently pursued higher education at the University of Uyo, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Ministry, a combination that would prove foundational to his later work as both a theological thinker and a communicator.
He later obtained a Doctorate degree in Philosophy and Ministry, among several other academic achievements that have earned him the title of Dr in ministry contexts.
Career
Abel Damina’s ministry career began within the Assemblies of God framework in which he was raised, but his vision expanded significantly when he received what he describes as a divine mandate in 1992.
That year, he founded Abel Damina Ministries, known popularly as Power Chapel. The first service of what would become Power City International was held in 1993 at the Apex Cinema Hall in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, a modest beginning for what would grow into one of Nigeria’s most dynamic teaching ministries.
Within a decade, Power City International had established its headquarters at 98 Nwaniba Road, Uyo, with three Sunday services, multiple campus churches, and a growing national profile.
Beyond his local congregation, Damina founded and leads Abel Damina Ministries International (ADMI), a global ministry body. He is also the President of Abel Damina Ministerial Equipping Network (ADMEN), a network of ministers who share his commitment to biblical fidelity.
His media ministry operates through Kingdom Life Network (KLN), a Christian satellite television channel over which he broadcasts his flagship programme Righteous Invasion of Truth (RIOT), which reaches millions of viewers across Africa and the global diaspora. His teachings are also broadcast on multiple radio and television stations.
As an author, Damina has produced numerous books and teaching materials on topics including grace, eternal life, the nature of the Kingdom of God, and the practical application of New Testament theology. Titles include Eternal Life, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, Grace, and The Gift and Calling of God, among others.
He has been a conference speaker at Christian gatherings across Africa, Europe, and North America, and is recognised internationally as a teacher within the broader Word of Faith and grace theology movements.
Damina’s theological positions have generated both enormous support and significant controversy. His claims about salvation, the afterlife, and the nature of biblical promises have been challenged by prominent Nigerian pastors including Johnson Suleman and Paul Enenche, who have publicly disputed his interpretations.
This ongoing public theological debate has, paradoxically, expanded his audience considerably, as millions of Christians across Nigeria engage with the arguments on both sides through social media and digital platforms.
Awards & Nominations
Dr Abel Damina is recognised within Nigerian ministry circles as an Associate of the International Charismatic Ministers’ Association (ICMA). He has received numerous recognition awards from Christian bodies and organisations across Nigeria.
His most significant recognition is the sustained growth and international reach of his ministry, which now encompasses multiple continents.
Social Media
Dr Abel Damina maintains active social media presences on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, where his sermons, teachings, and ministry updates reach hundreds of thousands of followers.
His YouTube channel broadcasts full-length messages from Power City International and features clips from his television programmes.
Personal Life
Abel Damina married Dr Rachel Damina on June 13, 1992, a union that has now exceeded three decades and is regarded within the ministry as a partnership of complementary calling. Rachel Damina is herself a pastor and minister.
The couple has three daughters — Jemima, Jesimiel, and Jeiel — known collectively as the Triple J Plus. Jeiel Damina has attracted independent public attention for her work in Nigerian entertainment. The family is known for maintaining a close-knit, faith-centred household that supports the ministry’s work.
Net Worth
Dr Abel Damina’s net worth is estimated at between $500,000 and $3 million, derived from his ministry leadership, media operations through Kingdom Life Network, speaking engagements, book sales, and teaching materials.
Estimates vary considerably across sources, with some placing the figure significantly higher. His ministry is built on a model of faith-based giving and ministry support from a global congregation.
Conclusion
Dr Abel Damina occupies a unique space in Nigerian Christianity as a pastor who refuses to let inherited theological assumptions go unchallenged.
Whether or not one agrees with his doctrinal positions, his impact on the intellectual and devotional life of Nigerian believers is undeniable.
He has pushed millions of Christians to engage more deeply with biblical texts, to question received interpretations, and to develop a more personally grounded faith that is not entirely dependent on denominational tradition.
Power City International continues to grow, his media ministry reaches ever-wider audiences, and the debates he triggers continue to energise theological discourse across the country.
Abel Damina’s legacy will be defined not only by the churches he has built or the books he has written but by the conversations he has started and the thinking he has provoked in a Nigerian church community that is both enormous and constantly evolving.